"You've already proven you can protect me from the thing that hurts me most of all," he told him, the honesty of his words proven in his eyes. That was part of it, a huge part of it. Mike made the weight of his mantel seem like something he could carry, but also something he could put aside at times. Mike had reminded him that he was more than just Sand, more than just sand, more than just the next Sandman and the JSA's recon man.

Mike reminded him that even though he was silicon, he was also human.